the gratitude project

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

an invitation to explore gratitude...

If you have made your way here via the wonderful Deb Ozarko's UNPLUG podcast series - WELCOME! Although *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful* came to a close on December 31, 2013, I invite you to stay a while to explore the blog and all it has to offer.

A great place to start is with this post, with an alphabetical list of links to every one of the stories posted as part of the "celebrating lives greatly full" series. In addition to these, the blog will offer you photos, quotes, student essays and personal reflections from yours truly.

Thanks for stopping by...
gratefully yours,
jag

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

i couldn't have done it without you...

Planning - and following through with - *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful* may very well be one of the bravest things I've ever done. And by far, the best part of the entire experiment was connecting with others and allowing them to be a part of this. At times, the asking came easily; other times, not so much. But every time, the asking led to being on the receiving end of incredible generosity. Every. Single. Time.

You were so giving of your time,
     your expertise,
          your support,
               your presence,
                    your confidence,
                         your enthusiasm,
                             your gratitude.

At the risk of forgetting someone, I want to express my deep gratitude...

to Sean & Stephanie - my creative advisors, for that first conversation at Bridgehead Coffeehouse and for your ongoing support
to Giacomo - for sharing your experience in gathering stories and for suggesting "the gratitude project" as a possible name for my experiment
to GGT Mike - for sharing your experience in engaging others in a cause and for your unfailing support of the project (and of me personally!)
to Cheryl - for your graphic design help, allowing me to go from a concept in my head to a logo on a t-shirt, business cards and postcards!
to Suzy - for introducing me to the mysterious world of Twitter and helping me set up a presence in the Twitter-sphere
to Stuart and Chrisann - for being there, and for helping me reach out to others in our community engagement events
to those of you who, early on, bought our limited edition t-shirts - for supporting the project and for continuing to ignite gratitude with the simple question: what are you grateful for?
to Paulette - for allowing me to have a space at Hintonburg ArtsPark (our first community event)
to Alisa - for inviting me into your school and sharing your students' essays with us
to Kathleen - for giving *the gratitude project* visibility in our community via your article in the Kitchissippi Times
to Stephanie (OAG) - for letting me come to your gratitude party
to the travellers - for sharing your stories of gratitude as we sped across this beautiful country by train on VIA Rail's The Canadian
to my 39 grateful guest bloggers - for your honesty and willingness to share your gratitude
to the unknowns who sent in a postcard - for your leap of faith and willingness to be a part of something bigger than you
to the hundreds who followed along/contributed on Facebook and/or Twitter - you will never know the thrill I felt when I started seeing names of people I didn't know joining on board!
to Jason Mraz, Patience Salgado and Brene Brown - for the original inspiration
to Brian - for loving & accepting me as I am and supporting my seemingly outrageous ideas. Always.

Seriously, I couldn't have done this without you - inspirers and cheerleaders, contributors and readers. Thank you seems wholly inadequate, but it's all I've got. That, and memories of an unforgettable year soaked in gratitude!

Here's wishing you all continued blessings, joy and daring on your gratitude journey...

gratefully yours,
jag

p.s. ... and that's a wrap, m'friends! :-)

Monday, December 30, 2013

preparing for a new focus...

Early in 2013, as *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful* began to take shape, I drafted the following description:

Overview

The gratitude project: dare to be grateful is a social engagement experiment triggered by my personal desire to celebrate the many blessings in my life in concert with others. It was sparked by the simple question: “Wouldn’t it be cool to find out what others are grateful for?!”

Project Goals

To express and share my personal gratitude with others
To reach out and engage others - friends and strangers - in a conversation around gratitude
To inspire others to put their gratitude into action
To step out of my comfort zone and learn

Description

The gratitude project is a multi-faceted initiative that lives and evolves on several levels: blog, community events, travels & story collecting, postcards project, charitable fundraising…
The timeframe is March - December 2013, however neither a forced ending nor extension will be imposed.
Part of the learning will be around the use of social media, including a blog, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

So, here I am - at the closing of 2013 - looking back at what has been accomplished. Have my goals been met? Why turn the page now? What is next?

I have known for a couple of months now that *the gratitude project* would be ending at the close of 2013. It just feels right. To continue would feel forced and would lack the authentic drive and energy that has nourished the project thus far. As I review the goals established at the onset, I can say - without a doubt - that they have been achieved. And for the most part, wholly surpassed! I could never have imagined the response to this experiment from both friends and strangers alike. I experienced moments of pure connection with people... connection on a level where we can all agree that Life is a blessing and that we have much to be grateful for.

Beyond all our differences, there is gratitude.

I have learned that I can step waaaay outside my comfort zone... and live to tell the tale!

I have learned that I can ask for help... and that my courage grows in the asking.

I have learned that "what are you grateful for?" is the best conversation starter ever. :-)

I have learned that gratitude is a lens that is always within my grasp.

I have learned that there are others who are dedicating themselves to celebrating gratitude and I will continue to turn to them for inspiration in those moments when gratitude does not come easily.

The one element of *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful* that I did not develop fully was the charitable fundraising aspect. I had hoped to put my gratitude into action in a concrete way by creating fundraising events to give back to my community. It just didn't happen. Well, not yet anyway. It seems perfect that "giving back to the community" is the one component of the project that will be following me into 2014...

The time is right for a new endeavour. New goals. New learnings.

I hereby declare that 2014 will be my year of the marathon! Yes, that's right. I will be running my first full marathon (42.2K / 26.2 miles) in New York City in November 2014. And inspired by so many of the people I met this past year, I plan to use this new "project" as a platform to raise awareness and funds for charitable causes within my community.

And so, although I am turning the page on *the gratitude project*, I will continue to dare to be grateful.

I will put my gratitude into action in conjunction with my new focus:
- to successfully complete a marathon while raising awareness and funds for a local charity.

gratefully yours,
jag

Sunday, December 29, 2013

celebrating lives greatly full :: looking back...

A project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.

With this "project management 101" definition in mind, and with the permissions and parametres I set for myself at the beginning of *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*, I have decided it is time to bring the project to a close. I will be sharing my reflections on this social engagement experiment over the next few days, as I begin to wrap things up here. This is not the end of gratitude in my life - I don't think that is even possible! - but rather a turning-of-the-page towards a new creative focus. More on this in a future post...

Today, I want to honour and thank the 39 people who accepted the invitation to share their gratitude as part of the "celebrating lives greatly full" series. Time and time again, as I received their submissions, I was humbled and moved by their honesty and their daring to be grateful.

I savoured their words. I was moved to tears. I rejoiced when they told me how valuable the exercise had been for them. The ripples of gratitude spreading in so many directions! And so, in alphabetical order (by last name), here they are... the storytellers, the lifeblood of *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. Truly, a celebration of lives greatly full! (My heart may be exploding with love & gratitude right now. Just sayin'.)

Each and every one of these people have touched my life. And now they have touched yours.

We are beyond rich.

gratefully yours,
jag

Saturday, December 28, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: elly...

This is the last in a series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. If you have not been following along, you will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here, Minseong and Judy's essays here, O'Dane and Evan's essays here,Dylan's essay here, Selina's essay here, Lily & Noah's essays here, Hannah's essay here and Carson's essay here.)

Elly's essay below just blew me away. Knowing there are young people like her and her friend Ashley gives me great hope for the future...

For my interview, I have chosen someone who I feel has a lot to say and will not be afraid to tell me what they are truly grateful for. I have known my interviewee for more than 6 years, and through that time they have been nothing but meaningful and honest to me and their other friends and family. Ashley is expressive verbally, physically and artistically and has much to be thankful for. When I asked her what personal quality she was most grateful for, she answered with sight because she loved all the beauty that the world had to offer.

To start off the interview, I asked my Ashley the question ‘what personal quality are you most grateful for?’ She thought about it for a few seconds and the first thing she said was “although I have so much in my life to be grateful for, I would have to say my sight”. The interviewee told me about why she chose this and I thought her examples were absolutely fascinating.

The first one she gave me was about the world always changing. She talked about the leaves and the sky and how crazy it was that everyday is different from the others. Each day has something special about it. The weather is always changing. With global warming, were not getting the same amount of snow and coldness as we used to. When I was little, the snow banks used to be up to the stop signs, though recently, the snow hardly passes a couple of feet. Ashley made a very interesting connection when she gave this example. She related the uniqueness and always changing weather, to people. Everyone changes as they get older. They have new friends, a new personality and they branch off in different directions.

Ashley also loves to preserve the memories she sees everyday. She told me about some of her hobbies that are truly has a passion for her. “I love to take pictures because it is showing someone else how I see the world”. Since everyone sees the world differently, a photo with a lot of voice really opens a window and lets people see into your head. What you take pictures of is completely up to you, and what you choose to capture really shows your personality. Ashley stated that she loves being able to share her experiences with other people who haven’t been able to experience it for them be themselves. Painting, it’s a way of expressing yourself through colour, pattern and shape. This is another thing that Ashley finds herself drawn to. While I was interviewing her, she told me something that really got me thinking, “I like to paint the world, not how it is, but how I see it”. This could be interpreted in so many different ways by different people. When I read this, I think of a forest. If most people were to paint a forest, they would do a couple of brown lines and some green spots, but Ashley would have all the animals and the patterns on the bark, the way the morning sun glimmers and shines off the leaves, and all the gorgeous flowers in full bloom.

One of the last things Ashley talked about towards the end of the interview, was being able to see things the way she sees them. "If they stop and really look at something, just a little closer, they can find beauty in everything”. This reminds me of an expression, ‘stop and smell the roses’. It means that if you take a second out of your day and stop what you’re doing, you can find beauty in nature and in the world. Anyone can, but not everyone will.

Thinking back to the interview, I can really relate to everything that Ashley talked about when she said everyone has a different way of seeing things. Personally, I absolutely love photography and take my camera everywhere with me. I take thousands of pictures when I go on vacation because it is a totally new experience. What also speaks to me are upclose shots of plants and animals, because you cannot see things like that without a special lense.

When I share my work with others, some really love it and want to see more, where as some don’t find it that interesting. That is because everyone is unique and sees things in different ways. Reflecting on other things that were said in the interview, I can see that Ashley is truly grateful for her quality of sight and does not take it for granted. She loves being able to see the world and all the people in it from her own perspective, which is unlike anyone else's. By having sight, she is able to look into other peoples interests and differences which is very special. If it were me being interviewed, I may have said something very similar to Ashley, because sight is a personal quality we should all be grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

Friday, December 27, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: carson...

Our ongoing series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. I have been publishing a selection of these essays here on the blog over the past several weeks. You will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here, Minseong and Judy's essays here, O'Dane and Evan's essays here,Dylan's essay here, Selina's essay here, Lily & Noah's essays here and Hannah's essay here.)

And now, introducing Carson...

The Gratitude Project: by Carson

My grandma is very special. Born in Windsor she has moved 4 times to Elliot Lake to Niagara Falls then to Atikokan and back to Niagara Falls. She also has a lot of allergies. There are so many I can’t list them all but here are a few, she’s allergic to wheat, grass, dust, citric foods, some fruits and the list goes on and on. She has worked as a school teacher and a chemist. She is also a very strong Christian. The best part about her is, she is a great grandma. :)

I asked my grandma what failure are you most grateful for?

When my grandma worked as a chemist in Windsor there were two guys that were always messing with her when she was doing her job and we all know that when you’re working with chemicals you don’t want to mess up. My grandma, who’s not very graceful, thought she was doing a good job of not messing up. Normally, at the end of a project, you wash the beakers and lab equipment with acid but this experiment was different, you were supposed to clean the equipment with water not acid. She wasn’t thinking and the two guys were distracting her and she accidentally washed the materials with acid and that created a deadly gas and everyone had to evacuate the building. That’s when she realized that she needed to leave that work field because it was putting others in danger. She then decided to start teaching and get married. She is most grateful for the chemical accident because it lead to a safe and more enjoyable job. It also lead to her getting married and having four kids and 10 grandchildren!

I think she made the right decision changing jobs. One reason because it lead to me and it also could have saved some people’s lives. ;) It also let her do a job that she enjoyed more which was teaching.

Monday, December 23, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: hannah...

Our ongoing series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. You will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here, Minseong and Judy's essays here, O'Dane and Evan's essays here,Dylan's essay here, Selina's essay here and Lily & Noah's essays here.)

Here's what Hannah discovered during her assignment...

The person I chose to interview was a person named Emma. Emma is 15 years old and a student at Canterbury high school. The reason why I chose to interview her is because I look up to and admire her.

The question I chose to ask Emma was what life experience are you most grateful for? This question could have so many possible answers so I was curious to see how she would respond to the question.

The one life experience Emma is grateful for is outdoor ed. The reason why she is grateful for this is because she met a lot of new people and experienced new activities with that group of people. Emma also said that outdoor ed was a great way to meet new people that are going to be into the same things as you because outdoor ed has specific activities.

She also is grateful for the program because it was a change from school. Sometimes it is nice to just drop everything and go to a new surrounding. She was in the Gatineau’s so it was a totally new environment to learn new things in.

Many activities that she did were mountain biking, camping outside and canoeing. These were activities that she was grateful for. Some of these activities she had either not done before or she didn’t do the activity very often. She said that by doing the outdoor ed program she learnt a lot about the activity, actually did the activity and had fun while doing all of this.

I think that by asking Emma this question, I learnt new things about Emma and the things that she is grateful for. I learned that Emma is open to trying new things and she like to engage with new people. I think I would have chosen a different life experience to be grateful for but that is her opinion and that is what she is grateful for. Based on this interview I think that I would like to do the outdoor ed program because she has had a good experience and I might too.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

celebrating lives greatly full :: joe rios...

I was first introduced to Joe Rios in the virtual world by a mutual friend. Mike thought Joe & I would hit it off and that our synergy could somehow lead to great things. I had the pleasure of meeting Joe in person just last month and I am honoured and humbled at the very thought! Joe has an authentic enthusiasm and passion for many things - and his gratitude is infectious! The two passions that stand out in his public life are running and supporting great causes. This is particularly evident in his drive to run a marathon on each of the seven continents (4 down, 3 to go) and in the creation of a growing yearly event called Run 4 a Cause (#RUN4AC).

I'm not sure Mike knew that 2014 would be my "year of the marathon" and that I intended to use this event to raise funds for a local charity, but I can't imagine anyone better than Joe to have on my "team"! Whether or not our connection will lead to great things or not, only time will tell. For today, I am thrilled to share Joe's personal sharing on gratitude as the end of 2013 draws near. I look forward to seeing what great things 2014 will bring!

You can follow Joe's adventures on THRIVEwithjoe.com...

Instead of completing a list of New Year's resolutions, my friends and I brainstormed a word that we wanted to feel all year long. Without a doubt, for me “INSPIRED” has been abundant and prevalent in 2013. A buffet of warm intentions, karmic energy and contagious enthusiasm was present at the table throughout this year’s races, travel, fitness classes, presentations, conversations and new challenges.

The result: feeling driven, motivated, and wanting to do more!

The inspiration was magnified & elevated by those who I decided to surround myself with in these activities. Travelling this week with my family in the Hawaiian islands I learned a powerful word: OHANA, defined by the Hawaiians that we are all part of an extended family. My OHANA are genuine individuals that believe in my passions, push me to step outside my boundaries and champion me to succeed. The more this occurs, the more I am energized to do the same in return and hence creating a magical support system.

We all need one and I'm forever GRATEFUL for mine: GGT, Goodlife, Lemons, Team D, family & friends! The phenomenal part of my support system is that it's growing organically & effortlessly.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Sunday, December 15, 2013

celebrating lives greatly full :: traci mclean...

Traci McLean is one of those women whose smile and eyes grab you from the get-go. And that voice... sigh. I first met her in 2009. She was the "new girlfriend" at a family gathering and, having gone through that same experience many (many!) years ago, I was drawn to her immediately. We bonded over that shared experience and have gone on to discover that we have so much more in common. She is a talented writer and professional vocalist based in Toronto, Ontario.

Traci has been so supportive of *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful* and our conversations over the past year hinted at a deeply felt gratitude of her own. And so, when I invited her to share that gratitude in this space, she enthusiastically agreed.

I feel blessed to have her in my life. Wish you lived closer, my friend...

What Personal Quality Are You Most Grateful For and Why?

In some ways, I’ve been a late bloomer my whole life. It’s not something I’ve ever taken much note of, except in grade 8 when I got teased for still climbing trees and not wearing makeup. Hey… I had multiple flavours of “Lip Smackers” on the go (Mom said clear lip gloss only) and I still climb trees. I just no longer care if people find it strange. The joy of sitting in a tree far outweighs the opinions of others.

I also think I’ve been slow to fully acknowledge my true strengths. As I looked at what qualities I appreciate about myself, I became grateful for the exercise of answering this question.

I discovered I’m grateful for:

my courage: I was repeatedly tossed into some very dark places for over a decade and despite fears that I’d lost myself at times, in the end, I emerged stronger than ever – with deep gratitude for the family and friends who stood by me

my playfulness: I love to play, to laugh, to explore, create, adventure, be silly, go on all the rides, try new things and a beautiful carousel will make me cry. I’m grateful for the people in my life who love the kid in me and join me in play.

my determination: I don’t give up easily. I possess a tenacity of mind/heart over matter for which I owe great gratitude to the teachers and mentors who I trained with spiritually, in meditation/communication practice.

my love: I love my family, friends and pets deeply and fiercely with an “I’ve got your back” type of honour. I am so grateful to my beautiful parents for teaching me this type of love and demonstrating it so very well.

my optimism: I’ve been affectionately teased my whole life about my rose-coloured glasses, my silver lining, my boundless, eternal optimism. My Mom says I was just born like that and my nephew is the same. I am beyond grateful for this quality. In itself, it has been the silver lining during the darkest of days.

But then… as I wound my way through these grateful moments trying to pick one, I realized that, most of all, I’m grateful for the way that I’ve grown - to be willing to openly share what I like about me. To share just as it is, without fear about the opinions of others and the societal need to place people in an appropriate box. I don’t fit in a box… and I’m happy with the awkward, wandering parts that make it so.

Though this path to acceptance of self has been lit by a lifetime of experiences, wonderful friends and family I must share that it was greatly accelerated when I met the love of my life, 5 years ago. Late bloomer, remember? He sees me for who I am. He sees me in ways that surprise me sometimes. Being loved and celebrated by him at my best and at my worst has been a true catalyst that allows me to more safely step forward into fully being who I am.

Gratitude overload reached… signing off now.

Namaste.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: lily... noah...

Our ongoing series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. I will be publishing a selection of these essays here on the blog over the next couple of weeks. You will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here, Minseong and Judy's essays here, O'Dane and Evan's essays here,Dylan's essay here and Selina's essay here.)

Allow me to now introduce these two great essays by Lily and Noah...

The Gratitude Project By: Lily

Hello there! I’m Lily and this is an interview of my mom. We recently sat down by the Ottawa river and discussed what we were grateful for, she talked about her favourite creative outlet:

Her topic has a lot to do about our cultural background, making Ukrainian Easter eggs (a.k.a. Pysanky)! Every year, around a month before Ukrainian Easter (usually 1 to 5 weeks after the Easter most of us know). When the time rolls around, we get out all our tools, a lot of them from when my grandma was still around (I love you Babcha!). We try to coax and drag our family to our dinning room table to at least make one egg, and when we are settled, we start to talk…

The great thing about making these eggs is that it is very meticulous work, so we kinda’ lose ourselves in our stream of consciousness. We talk about stuff that usually wouldn’t be spoken in a normal, straight as a board conversation. It’s a great way to get to know each other better, to bring us closer.

Making Easter eggs is also quite extraordinary because it brings us back 100s (if not 1000s) of years of tradition. It liberates us from fast paced society nowadays. With all the technology and problems of today, it’s not hard to get whisked away. Getting together every year like this helps ground us, keep us together.

I really agree with my mom. With all that’s going on today, it’s hard to sit down and really think about our pasts (whether it’s 100 years ago or maybe what you did that day). Holding a wooden stick with a fine metal tip and drawing on an egg with it, the smell of beeswax and candle smoke heavy in the air, is sort of a relief. And the final product is also something to be grateful for as well! ~Lily

The Gratitude Project By: Noah

For the gratitude project I decided to interview my mom Tessa. I asked her “what person are you most grateful for” and after maybe a minute of thinking she chose to talk about her grandmother.

She had been so grateful for her grandmother many reasons but she decided to pick these 3 examples. One reason that she was so thankful was because she taught her how to cook delicious hungarian dinners from scratch such as goulash and snitzel. That would be great because my mom told me she had always been at the cottage and her grandmother showed her many, many ways to stay fed with a delicious meal.

This had taken up a lot of her choices so I had pry out what other reasons for being grateful for her grandmother. Finally I had gotten "business" as one of her most grateful parts from her grandmother and I'm sure her grandmother would have been very helpful in that specific area because her job was finding and selling antiques. She taught her business in a way that showed her how to make the most of the resources she had.

The final reason she had chosen her grandmother was to show her cottaging with skills she had not known such as pie making and enjoying the cottage I know this does not sound like a very important subject but when I listened to her talk about it I noticed enjoying the cottage is a very important part in life, for example if she never new cottaging she would never be good in flipping houses for more money and profit witch has helped her very much in life.

After sitting down with her for so long I can now believe why she had choisen her grandmother. If she had not ever met her grandmother she would have never learned how to flip houses make delicious meals and enjoy life as it is!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: selina...

Our ongoing series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. I will be publishing a selection of these essays here on the blog over the next couple of weeks. You will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here, Minseong and Judy's essays here, O'Dane and Evan's essays here and Dylan's essay here.)

Allow me to now introduce this inspiring essay from Selina!

Name: Jake M.

photo provided by Selina

Biography: I have known Jake for about 4 years now, and he is one of the kindest person I know. He is very inspiring and I look up to him as a role model. I met Jake through dance and that's how I continue to see him everyday. I chose to interview him because he is never negative about anything and always appreciative of everyone and everything. Since he has a very positive attitude towards life, I thought he was the perfect person to interview. Some fun facts about Jake is that he can do a headstand for more than 3 minutes, he has red hair, and he is a male dancer.

Question: What life experience are you most grateful for?

The first experience he was grateful for was a national competition in Hollywood, Florida 2012. This inspiring experience made him truly realize he wanted to be a dancer. During the competition he realized that when you love what you do, you can, and will do anything to achieve what you want to achieve. He thought that maybe if he were devote everything he had into one thing, and maybe if he were to be as dedicated as all the amazing dancers he had seen, that possibly something amazing would come out of it. And thats exactly what happened.

Another experience Jake was grateful for was winning the title of Hamilton’s 2013 teen male dancer of the year. He had his mind set of doing the best that he could, not thinking about winning, but thinking of the experience he was going to have. All Jake wanted was to have the best run of his solo and make his teachers, family, and friends proud. When they called his name saying that he won, the emotion and shock he felt was so special no words could describe it. It showed him that all the hard work he had been doing had payed off and proved to everyone that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

The last experience is he is very grateful for, is my favourite. He figured out that if he wanted to take dance seriously, being 185 pounds wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Jake used to not think before he ate which caused him the problem. He first started with an intense dieting of absolutely no exceptions of unhealthy junk. Then made up a routine where he would do 300 crunches, 40 push ups, and run 2k every day. Within only 2 months, he lost an astonishing total of 40 pounds, and eventually gained 5 pounds of muscle. Jake is especially grateful for this experience because it has made him truly appreciate the taste of fruits and vegetables and what they are doing for your body. Now he can live a healthy lifestyle of 150 pounds for a 15 year old boy. : )

Conclusion: Upon reflection I think that Jake is someone who many people are grateful for and who has an very inspiring aspect on life. He has been able to choose dance over football already knowing how tough it is to be a male dancer with all the bullying and has been the one that wins in the end. He is very grateful and appreciative for what he has and I hope you can see that too. ; )

Sunday, December 8, 2013

celebrating lives greatly full :: shulamit day berlevtov

I first met Shulamit Berlevtov several years ago through mutual friends. From the beginning, I knew she was a seeker and a healer - someone who wasn't afraid to do the work set before her on her spiritual path, and willing to share her experience with others. She continues to carve her place in this world through her counseling services. She works as a psychotherapist in private practice who offers classes and one-to-one sessions in person in the Kemptville and Smiths Falls area. Interestingly, she’ll be facilitating Explorations in Gratitude starting January 2014.

Although we do not see each other often, we keep abreast of each other's lives through the magic of social media. I am so pleased she agreed to share her most recent intentional practice: gratitude. I am grateful for YOU Shula!

What am I grateful for?

I am grateful for formal gratitude practice.

I post a statement about what I am grateful for to my Facebook status every night before bed. I remember the times when I had tried gratitude in the past. When I was feeling low, I’d make a list of “good” things in my life, things for which I should be grateful, and then I’d tell myself, “Look, you should be grateful!” and then berate myself for not feeling any better.

http://goldeneaglescoaching.com/life/benefits-gratitude-infographic/

My current approach started when I was having trouble sleeping. I'd seen this infographic and thought I’d experiment to see if gratitude practice before bed would help my sleep. I started by finding one thing each day that had made me smile. I’d recall what happened and smile. Then I’d pay attention to the feel of the smile, and to what other body sensations came along with smiling and the memory of the event. I’d sit with that for a while, savouring the sensations and resting in the memory. Then I would convey the experience by writing down a gratitude statement.

After some time practicing, as the hours move toward bedtime, thoughts of gratitude have started coming on their own. Sometimes they show up at random during the day. Feelings and sensations come with them that make the experience more vivid. When something happens in the moment and I’m grateful for it, the sense of it comes more fully.

Now that I’m awake to all that, spontaneous expressions of gratitude arise for me to share with people in the moment. The quality of my days and of my experience of living have changed. More joy, pleasure, ease and appreciation flow through me, even in the midst of difficult happenings. I feel low less often, and when I do, I can pause, place a gentle hand on my heart, and feel grateful for the ability to do just that. After all, that’s what I need when I’m feeling low! (I have yet to see an effect on my sleep, but at this point, who cares??!!)

Expressing gratitude directly to someone about something they have done is easy for me. I'm giving them feedback about how they have contributed to making life more wonderful for me. The effect my gratitude practice has had on others surprised me. I started doing it via social media because I wanted accountability. But what I offered to myself has become a giving. I still feel shy about acknowledging that. Accepting that this thing I do for myself is of benefit to others is the next frontier of my practice. I’m sitting with the shyness, and grateful for it.

Monday, December 2, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: dylan...

Our ongoing series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. I will be publishing a selection of these essays here on the blog over the next couple of weeks. You will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here, Minseong and Judy's essays here and O'Dane and Evan's essays here.)

Now, let's see what Dylan learned on his assignment...

Interviewer: Dylan

Interviewee: Steacy

Brief Biography:

My Mom is very close to me and we have had lots of experiences together. From some of these experiences, I've noticed that she has to make a lot of tough decisions like when she decided to go to teachers college and become a teacher even though she would have to work much more often. I thought about it and I knew that she had to have made some decisions that she’s really grateful for. That is why I chose my Mom for this project.

Question:

What decision are you most grateful for?

1. My Mom's first decision that she is really grateful for is her decision to join the purification challenge when she was young. This was a group of kids that had to run a certain amount of distance every week. By doing this challenge, my Mom figured out that she was a good runner and she joined cross country and had a lot of fun. She stills enjoys running now and it is one of the reasons she can stay fit.

2. Another decision that my Mom is grateful for is her decision to work when she was in university. She is grateful for this decision because this helped her pay for school. She is also grateful for this because it helped her organize herself so she wouldn't just party with her friends every night.

3. The last decision that my Mom is really grateful for is her decision to go to Europe with her sister for 2 weeks in 2010. My Mom is grateful for that decision because even though she was away from her family for 2 weeks and it cost a lot of money, she was really glad because it was very interesting seeing all the foreign countries and exploring the world. She also had a lot of fun.

Conclusion:

Upon reflection, I think that my Mom was really thinking deeply about my questions and taking them seriously. My Mom wasn't very resistive of my questions and answered them without any pushing. I think that my Mom was running out of answers by the last example but I do think she was grateful for the decision.

I can connect with her first decision, since my soccer team has to run 3 kilometres every practice for the past 2 years. This I am grateful for because now my dad, Mom and I go for after dinner runs sometimes for fun. If I hadn't been running, I wouldn't have learned to enjoy it and would be missing the great family talks we have on our runs.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

a grateful anthem...

This song by Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod may very well become my new anthem.

All that I am.

All that I see.

All that I've been,

and all that I'll ever be,

is a blessing.

It's so amazing.

And I'm grateful for it all.

gratefully yours,
jag

Friday, November 29, 2013

the gratitude project assignment :: o'dane... evan...

Our ongoing series of essays from Grade 8 students from Broadview Public School here in Ottawa. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Viner and Ms. Krochmalnek's classes just before our Canadian Thanksgiving, to talk to them about *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful*. (Read more about that here.) Students were then given an assignment to interview a friend or family member about what they were grateful for, and to submit a short essay based on that interview. I will be publishing a selection of these essays here on the blog over the next couple of weeks. You will want to read these. Seriously. These kids rock.

(Read Julia's essay here and Minseong and Judy's essays here.)

Now, introducing O'Dane and Evan...

Interviewer: O’Dane
Interviewee: My dad

I chose to interview my dad because he’s been in my life since i was born, i chose to do my dad because he has an interesting background that I’ve never heard before. An interesting fact about my dad is that he was a deep sea fisherman before he migrated to Canada.

Question:

What person are you most grateful for?

My dad chose his grandmother because when he was born, he was born in her hands, in her house.

Another reason he chose his grandmother that he is most grateful for is because she raised him from just a baby to an adult.

The last reason why he chose his grandmother is that she is very loving and kind, she was always be loving and kind to everyone she knew in every way possible.

I can relate to this because both my parents have done the same with me except the adult part yet. Both my parents are loving and caring and want to help in any way possible and have raised me till now.

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Interviewer: Evan B.

Interviewee: David B.

I’ve known this person since I was born because he is my dad.

I thought it was a good idea to interview my dad because I wanted to know what he is most grateful for. My dad has been collecting bikes since the early 80’s and has a large collection of current and vintage bicycles.

Question:

What life experience are you most grateful for?

Answer:

My dad is most grateful to have discovered cycling at a young age. Cycling has been the mechanism that has enabled many different positive aspects of his life.

He always enjoyed riding bikes when he was young and this led him to try racing and that in turn taught him about training, nutrition and how to be a bicycle mechanic.

My dad has travelled to many places all over the world because of different races he has travelled to. He has met many people from different countries because of cycling.

Conclusion:

Personally I’ve always liked riding my bike and it’s a great form of transportation cause you get a great workout from it and you can ride with your friends, also when you start riding it introduces you to a great community.

the gratitude project: dare to be grateful is a year-long social engagement experiment triggered by my personal desire to celebrate the many blessings in my life in concert with others. It was sparked by the simple question:

“Wouldn’t it be cool to find out what others are grateful for?!”

Thanks to everyone who took part in one way or another... Although *the gratitude project: dare to be grateful* has come to an end, I invite you to explore this blog and continue on your personal journey of gratitude!